My Life at Hogwarts
by Oceanesta
Summary: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to go to Hogwarts as a normal wizard student? You're about to find out! Chloe Butcher, an 11 year old girl born to a family of muggles. Her mum always told her when she was young: "Don't be silly! There is no such thing as magic, now go upstairs and finish your homework!" She is about to learn that magic truly does exist.
1. The Visitor

It was on my 11th birthday that I got a visit from the most peculiar guest. A giant. It was a man so large he couldn't fit through the door. He looked to be about twice the height of an average person, and five times as wide. He wore an abnormally large moleskin coat, and had long shaggy black hair and a beard to match. His hair was so long that it covered most of his face, and all that I could see was his nose, and his two black eyes that glinted like beetles. He looked at me and smiled.

"Well hello there Chloe, an' a happy birthday!"

I just stared at him. Who was this man and how did he know my name?

"Chloe? Who's at the door?" My mum peeked her head around the corner holding a copy of the newspaper and nearly dropped it in shock when she saw our guest.

"Oh! Well... hello...there. C-can I help you?" She stammered as she walked up beside me and looked up at him, trying to find his face.

"Actually, I think 's supposed ter be me, that's helpin' yeh." He smiled once more and reached into his coat pocket. A minute and ten pockets later, he finally found what he was looking for. In his hand he held up a letter. He handed it to me triumphantly. My mum and I stared at it curiously for a moment, before the giant cleared his throat.

"Um... if yeh don't mind, can I come in an' sit for a bit? There's a few things I gotta talk ter yeh abou' tha' letter." He smiled sheepishly. My mum nodded woodenly and gestured inside, her eyes still fixated on the letter.

Once we were all seated in the living area, my mum finally opened the letter. There were two pages inside. My mum read aloud the first page:  
"Dear Chloe Butcher,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress"

When she finished, she squinted at the paper as if to make sure that she had just read that correctly. We both looked at each other before my mum bursted out laughing and I just looked at her.

"'Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'?! What a joke! Who put you up to this?" She looked back at the giant who's smile turned into a frown.

"This isn't a joke. Yeh read it right there," He pointed at the letter "Congratulations, Chloe. Yer a a witch." I at last opened my mouth to talk.

"I'm a-" Before I could finish, my mum interrupted me.

"Okay, I've had enough of this prank," Her amusement faded, and was replaced with anger. "We're trying to enjoy my daughter's 11th birthday, and the last thing we need is some stranger waltzing into our home and saying that my daughter is some magical wizard who has been accepted into some made-up school for magic tricks!" She shrieked. The giant sighed.

"I 'spected as much. Oh, tha' reminds me." Once again he dug into his coat pockets, only this time much his search ended much quicker. He pulled out a box and handed it to me and I took it. My mum was eyeing the giant suspiciously, and I opened the box. Inside was a chocolate cake with the words "Happy Birthday Chloe" written on it with pink icing, complete with an unlit candle. I smiled shyly and said thank you. My mum was looking at the giant even more suspiciously now.

"Ah, here. Allow me ter light yer candle." For the third time that day, he dug into his pockets and this time he unearthed a pink umbrella. My mum's suspicious stare was replaced with one of deep confusion. We both watched as he waved the umbrella in the air and brought it down by the candle with a flourish. I could not believe my eyes when the candle suddenly came to life, and neither could my mum. She screamed and fell to the floor. I sprang up and ran over to help her. The giant simply looked over at me and smiled.

"Well then, I s'pose we oughta get goin'," The giant stood up and put his pink umbrella back in his pockets. "Yeh don't mind if I use yer fireplace, now do yeh? " He looked at my mom, who was now leaning on the back of the couch, her face still a little pale.

"What ever for?" She asked, slightly delirious.

"Why, fer Floo Powder o' course!" He held up a small bag of a glittery silver powder. "Much quicker than yer Muggle transportation." He smiled proudly.

"U-um, excuse me Mr... who are you, exactly?" I asked politely.

"Oh! I haven't introduced mesself yet!" He set the small bag down and took a bow. "Me name is Hagrid. Rubeus Hagrid. I'm the Keeper o' the Keys an' Grounds at Hogwarts."

"So... does that mean this is true? Does magic really exist? Am I really a wizard? Is there really a school for wizards, and I get to go to it?" I asked, intrigued.

"But o' course! Well, technically speakin' yer a witch, bein' a girl an' all. An' a mighty pretty girl at tha'" I blushed in embarassment. My mum finally rose, and she had almost all of the color back in her face.

"But... how? I mean, we're just a normal family. I've never even heard about this school before." She said.

"Tha's because 's kept a secret from Muggles like yerself. But, fer wizarding folk 's no secret tha' Hogwarts is the best school there is!" He said with pride. He looked at the clock above the mantle and frowned a bit. "Well, we really oughta get goin', all this talkin' has put us a bit behind schedule."

"Get going where exactly?" I inquired. He looked at me as if he was surprised I didn't know.

"Why, to get yer supplies fer school o' course! Did yeh think yeh were gonna show up at school on the firs' day without anythin'?" He grabbed the envelope which was still sitting on the table and pulled out the second piece of parchment. I had completely forgotten about the letter. This whole magical thing still seemed so surreal to me. He put the list in his pocket and turned towards my mum.

"Well, I'm gonna be accompanyin' her with her shoppin', but I'm not gonna be buyin' her everythin'" She jumped a little.

"Oh! Of course!" She ran to the closet and grabbed her purse. She took our her wallet and handed it to him. He tucked it away in one of his many coat pockets.

"Well then, I believe tha's everythin'. Shall we head off?" He picked up the bag of the silver powder.

"Ummm... excuse me, Mr. Hagrid? What's that?" I pointed shyly to the powder.

"Oh, this? This is Floo Powder. The best form of wizard transportation! Well, besides Apparition. See, what yeh do is take a nice handful o' it, and throw it in the fire. When the fire turns green, yeh say yer destination clearly, an' walk into the flames. Then poof! Yer there! Yeh should go first, tha' way I can help yeh." He held out the bag of Floo Powder, and I obediently took a handful, and while doing so felt a little silly.

"A-are you sure this will work?" I asked uncertainly.

"But o'course! I had ter get special permission to connect yer fireplace to the Floo Network fer today, so there should be no problems," He gestured towards the fireplace "Now go on, throw the Floo Powder into the fire." I took a deep breath and tossed my handful of glittery silver powder into the fire. Almost at once, the bright red and orange flame turned green.

"Tha's it, now I wan' you ter step inter the fire and loudly and clearly say "Diagon Alley". Now, go on." I looked up at Hagrid in alarm.

"Won't the flames hurt?" I asked.

"Now, do yeh really think I would make yeh go inter the fire if it hurt?" I didn't think so. There was something about him that seemed trustworthy. So, I took another deep breath and stepped into the flames. I winced, expecting them to burn me, but I couldn't feel a thing. Relieved, I cleared my throat and said as loudly and clearly as I could:

"Diagon Alley!"

There was a green flash, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in a different fireplace, in the middle of a bustling cobblestone alley. As I stepped out of the fireplace, I looked around me in amazement. There was a huge assortment of different stores and pubs. I saw a man standing outside a shop with a sign that read "Broomstix" He was handing out fliers and shouting "Come and get the brand new Nimbus 2000! The fastest broom there is!" I saw a shop for cauldrons, quills, and magical books. And a pet shop that had a bunch of screeching owls lined up in the windows. There was a huge crowd of witches and wizards, all wearing the strangest robes and pointed hats. There was so much to look at that I couldn't take it all in at once. There was a green flash behind me, and I turned to see Hagrid crouching down to exit the fireplace. He looked at me and smiled.

"Welcome ter Diagon Alley, Chloe!"


	2. Gringotts Wizarding Bank

"Now then, let's get goin', shall we?" Hagrid said as he unfolded the supply list that came with my letter. "I guess we'll 'ave ter go ter Gringotts firs' ter convert yer money."

Walking through the crowded alley was surprisingly easy with Hagrid. The crowd parted for the giant man, and all I had to do was stick close behind him. As we walked, I kept looking around, trying to take everything in at once.

"Here we are! Gringotts Wizarding Bank!" We stopped in front of an imposing multi-story white marble building. It towered over all of the other neighbouring shops. As we ascended the white flight of stairs, Hagrid whispered to me.

"Be careful in there. Yeh see, Gringotts is run by goblins. They're clever, all right. But not exactly the friendliest." I nodded and we reached the top of the stairs. There was a strange looking creature, which I took to be a goblin, guarding the doors. The goblin was short and had dark skin, with very long fingers and feet. He wore a scarlet and gold uniform and had dark slanted eyes. We pushed open the burnished bronze doors and found ourselves in a small entrance hall with another set of doors. These doors were silver, had another goblin guard, and engraved on them were the words:

Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there.

I shivered, and Hagrid pushed them open and we entered a huge marble hall. There was a long counter that stretched the length of the wall on each side, and a desk at the end. As we walked down the long hallway, some of the goblins who were working at the counters looked at us with their eyes narrowed, while the others ignored us completely. When we reached the desk at the end of the hall, the goblin working there ignored us. Hagrid cleared his throat and the goblin slowly looked up.

"Hello... can I help you?" He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Yes. I'd like ter make a money exchange." Hagrid said carefully.

"Very well. For how much?"

"Um... let's see..." He took out my mum's wallet and stared at the money unfamiliarly. He took a medium sized wad and handed it over. The goblin pulled out a medium-sized safe and took the wad and placed it inside. Then, he took out a small bag that seemed to be filled with some coins of some sort. Hagrid took it and put it away in his pockets, along with my mum's wallet.

"Thank yeh very much." The goblin dipped his head slightly before returning to his work. As Hagrid and I walked back down the hall we both stared straight ahead and neither of us spoke until we were outside.

"Aright, now tha' tha's taken care o', let's get back to the rest o' yer shoppin', eh?" Hagrid smiled. I smiled back.

"Okay!" I said excitedly.


	3. The Shopping Trip

"I guess we'll get yer robes firs'." Hagrid headed down the alley, and I fell in step behind him.  
A couple minutes passed by, before I stopped in front of a shop with mannequins wearing robes in the windows.

"Here we are, Madam Malkin's Robes Fer All Occasions!" We opened the door and a little bell jingled. A petite old woman with short white hair and blue eyes looked up from behind the counter.

"Why, hello Hagrid. Fancy seeing you here. Are you on messenger duty again?" She smiled warmly and got up and hobbled over to a rack of black cloaks and started browsing through them.

"Hello again, Ms. Malkin. Well, it can't be helped. There's an awful lot o' muggle-born firs' years this time around. This here is Chloe Butcher. After her, I only got one more student, then I'm done fer the day." Madam Malkin came hobbling over to me.

"Nice to meet you dearie. You may call me Ms. Malkin," She shook my hand then held a cloak up to me.

"Yes, yes that will do nicely." She grabbed two more of those, and one heavier winter cloak with silver fastenings before walking over to a row of those silly looking pointed hats. She picked up a black one and examined it.

"So, who's your last student then?"

"Harry Potter."

Ms. Malkin dropped the hat and turned her head slowly around to face Hagrid, her blue eyes opened wide, and her mouth open in shock.  
"H-Harry...P-P-Potter? As in, THE Harry Potter? The boy who lived?" She stuttered. Hagrid nodded.

"The very same." He said. She recovered mostly and went on gathering clothes.

"What kind of gloves would you like?" She asked, looking at me. Her voice shook a little.

"U-uhhh..." I looked up at Hagrid, unsure.

"Dragonhide's fine." He said. She picked up a pair of gloves and hobbled hurridely to the counter. Hagrid pulled out the bag we received at Gringotts earlier and handed her some large gold coins, which she accepted and in turn handed him some medium-sized silver and small bronze coins. She pulled out a small bag and placed all of my clothes in it. I didn't think it would all fit, but somehow it did. When she handed it to me, I peered in and to my shock I couldn't see the bottom of the bag.

"It's a bottomless bag, dear. Pretty handy for when you need to buy a lot of items," She smiled at me and turned to Hagrid, "I'll see you later, yes?" Hagrid nodded and I looked at her with amazement. I was really starting to enjoy this whole magic thing! I thanked her, and when we walked outside Hagrid took out the list and crossed off clothes.  
After that, we went to Potage's Cauldron Shop, Flourish and Blotts, and Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, where I bought my cauldron, textbooks, and a variety of other equipment, respectively. All that was left was a pet, and my very own magic wand.

"Um... Mr. Hagrid? Can I ask you something?" I asked shyly, as we walked down the alley on our way to the pet shop.

"Sure, wha' 's it?"

"What's a muggle?"

"Oh, I guess I forgot ter tell yeh. Non-magic folk, like yer mum."

"Oh, ok. Also, that person you were talking about in Madam Malkins... Harry Potter was it? Who is he?" We kept walking and Hagrid didn't reply. I looked up at him and his eyes were unreadable.

"Listen, Chloe. Not all wizards are good. 10 years ago, the most powerful dark wizard o' all time was at his prime. On October 31st, 1981 he attacked the Potter family. He killed Harry's parents, Lily an' James Potter, but when he tried ter kill Harry, he failed. Tha' day, he lost all o' his power. Nobody knows where he is now. Some say he's dead. Rubbish, in me opinion. I think he's still out there, but he's too weak. People still fear him ter this day. Most people are too scared ter even speak his name. But, yeh won't need ter worry abou' 'im at Hogwarts. Headmaster Dumbledore is the strongest wizard there is," He pushed open the door to 'Magical Menagerie', "Now, whaddya say we wrap up the rest o' yer shoppin'? What kind o' pet yeh lookin' fer?" He asked.

"Well, what kind of pet am I allowed?" I asked, trying to raise my voice over the sounds of the screeching owls.

"Yeh can have an owl, cat, or toad. But toads are out o' fashion, and yeh'll be teased if yeh get one. I would recommend an owl. They're useful, fer yer mail."

"What do you mean, for my mail?"

"In the wizarding world, we use owls ter send letters. Usually, the Hogwarts letter is sent by owl but fer muggle-borns they send out messengers, like mesself, ter help explain abou' magic an' whatnot. Are yeh even listenin'?"  
I didn't hear most of what he was saying, because I was too busy looking at a cat. He was big, with the biggest, most gorgeous yellow eyes, which were rimmed with white. His face was handsome and perfectly symmetrical. he had a white muzzle, and a dark pink nose. His whiskers were long and white with black roots, as if he had dyed them. He was the strangest colour of grey mixed with sand. His back was solid greyish brown, but his chest was pale tan with darker stripes. His paws and tail had dark grey stripes. When he looked at me, he let out such a girly sounding meow that it made me laugh. I reached through the cage to pet him, and was amazed at how soft his fur was.

"Hi. Excuse me? Yeah I'd like that one cat righ' there."  
I looked over to find Hagrid standing at the counter, with his own wallet in his hands. He looked over and winked at me.

"Happy Birthday, Chloe."  
I walked out of the store, happily carrying my new cat in his cage. He looked up at me and meowed his girly meow again. The colour of his fur reminded me of Floo Powder, but since I most definitely was not naming my cat 'Floo', I decided to name him Cinder.

"Alrigh', now we jus' need ter get yer wand an' then we're done." Once again, Hagrid set off along the alley and I followed him close behind. I was careful to make sure that Cinder didn't get bumped by all the passing wizards. Suddenly, we turned into a much less crowded area. I was relieved, and started walking beside Hagrid instead until at last we reached our final destination. It was a tiny shop, with peeling gold letters that read 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.' Hagrid pushed open the door and I followed.  
The inside of the store was very tiny. There looked to be thousands of boxes in shelves, going all the way up to the ceiling. As if that weren't enough, there were also several stacks on the floor., reaching almost to the ceiling.

"Coming!" A man called out from the depths of the shop. An old man with shoulder-length straggely white hair came around the corner. "Ah, hello Hagrid. Nice to see you. And who is this pretty young lady?"  
I smiled bashfully. "Chloe Butcher."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Butcher. You may call me Mr. Ollivander. Now, Hagrid would you care to step outside? I don't want anything to happen to you. Bring the cat as well." Hagrid picked up Cinder and my bag and stepped outside.

"Why did you ask him to go outside?" I asked. Mr. Ollivander walked over to one of the shelves and pulled out a small black box.

"You'll see," He took the lid off the box and held up a wand and handed it to me "Try this. 12 1/4 inches, Cypress, unicorn hair core, unyielding flexibility." He handed it to me and when I took it, it shocked me and let out a bolt of lightning that left a scorch mark on the ceiling. I blushed and quickly handed it back. He put it back in the box, and placed it back on the shelf.

"That's why." He came back a second later, this time with a small white box.

"The wand chooses the wizard, Miss Butcher. Not the other way around," He smiled kindly at me and handed another wand to me "14 1/2 inches, Maple, unicon core, slightly springy." This time when he handed it to me, it didn't shock me.

"Well, go on. Give it a wave." I felt silly, but when I gave it a little twirl, a warm gentle breeze swept over us, that smelled like the ocean. When it ended, Mr. Ollivander smiled at me.

"Now that's more like it, eh? 7 Galleons please."  
I paid Mr. Ollivander and walked out of his shop beaming.

"Alrigh', me jobs almost done. Here's yer train ticket. The train leaves September 1st at exactly 11 o'clock at King's Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4. Here's some Floo Powder ter get yeh home." He handed me my train ticket, some Floo Powder, my mum and my money, my bag, and Cinder.

"Alrigh', I think that's everythin' I'll see yeh then." I looked up to say thank you for everything, but he was gone. I picked up my bag and Cinder and turned back onto the crowded alley. As I walked down towards the fireplace, I felt a feeling of excitment start to bubble up inside me. I threw the powder in the fire and walked in when it turned green. Cinder meowed at me and I smiled.

"Home."

There was a green flash.


	4. The Squib

The next thing I knew, I was standing in my living room.

"Chloe? Is that you?" My mum called from the kitchen.

"Yes, mum." I replied as I stepped out from the fireplace. My mum came from around the corner and sat down on the couch, and motioned for me to do the same. I put Cinder and my bag down and sat down opposite to her.

"Well? How was it?" She asked, smiling. I was relieved to see that she seemed to have finally accepted the idea of me being a witch.

"It was really fun! Would you like to see what I've bought?" I asked happily.

"Sure! But by the looks of it, it doesn't seem to be much." She said, looking at my small bag. I got down on the floor, opened the bag and reached my arm deep inside. Her eyes widened when, soon, my entire arm was reaching inside, searching around for stuff. I finally got hold of something, and I pulled it out. Soon, a large cauldron was sitting in the middle of our living space.

"Goodness, Chloe. What ever is that for?" She asked.

"Why, for making potions of course!" I said triumphantly as I pulled out my telescope, brass scales, glass phials, my robes, textbooks, and finally my wand. I crawled over to her.

"Look, mum! It's my very own magic wand!" I held it up to her and beamed. She smiled back.

"Congratulations, Chloe. I'm so proud of you." She wrapped me up in a warm hug.

"Oh! Looks like your fathers home!" She released me and stood up. "Chloe, I want you to be here while we explain everything to your father."  
I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I'd been worrying about how my father would take it. We both stood there in silence while he walked up to the house. It seemed like forever, when finally he opened the door.

"Welcome home, dear." My mum walked over to him and kissed him.

"Welcome home, dad."

"Hey dear, hey Chloe. What's all this?" He walked over to the pile of my school supplies still on the floor.

"Um... dear? Would you mind having a seat? Chloe and I need to tell something to you." She looked pointedly at me and I stood up and walked over to the couch and sat.

"Alrighty." He sat on the couch next to me. My mum walked over to the recliner and sat. We all sat there in silence for a moment before finally, my mum took a deep breath.

"Honey, I'm not quite sure how to put this so I'm just going to say it. Chloe is a witch." My dad looked at her.

"Darling, I know she can be a pain in the rear sometimes, but that's a little harsh don't you think?" He looked at her, confused.

"No, not like that. I mean she's actually a witch. Like, she can do magic. She's been accepted into a school for magic folk and these are her supplies for school." My mum said everything without pausing to breathe. Panting, she looked at my father.

"Oh, really? Congratulations, sweetie. I'm glad to know we have another wizard in our family." My dad patted me on the back in congratulations.

"Wait... you already knew about this whole magic thing?" My mum asked, her eyes stretched wide.

"Oh yes, I forgot to mention. My whole family are wizards, but I'm what you call a squib. That means that I was born non-magical." He explained.

"But, why didn't you tell us?" I asked him, slightly hurt. He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head in embarassment.

"Well, I wasn't sure if you would be a witch or not, so I didn't want to get your hopes up or anything. I'm also glad that Hogwarts sent a messenger to you. I guess it makes sense, seeing how I didn't go to Hogwarts so naturally I wouldn't know much about it. But don't worry, your mom and I will definitely go with you to see you off. Right, dear?" He cocked his head at her and smiled. She smiled back.

"Of course. Now dear, would you mind telling us what you do know about Hogwarts? I'm afraid Mr. Hagrid didn't really do much explaining. Rather rude of him if I do say so myself." She scowled and in a hut on a rock in the middle of the ocean, a certain giant sneezed, and a certain young boy said bless you.

"Well, Mr. Hagrid had said that he had to go help out another boy by the name of Harry Potter, so he was probably rushed." I said defensively. My father looked at me.

"Harry Potter? As in, THE Harry Potter?" He thought about it for a bit before saying "Oh, I never realized that you two would be in the same year." My mum looked at him in confusion.

"Another time, dear. Now, you want to hear what I know about Hogwarts right?" We nodded.

_A/N- This whole dialogue below reveals that Mr. Butcher's brother and mother were in Ravenclaw, his father in Hufflepuff, and his sister in Slytherin. Other than that it's just an explanation about the different houses and the house cup. Feel free to skip it if you want._

"Well, like I said earlier I don't know too much. My brother and sister were both magical, but I was the only squib. So all I know is what my family has told me. Let's see... Well, to start, there are 4 houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each house has their own unique traits that define them. Gryffindors are brave and chivalrous. Ravenclaws are witty and eccentric. Hufflepuffs are loyal and fair. Slytherins are cunning and ambitious. My brother and mother were in Ravenclaw, my father in Hufflepuff, and my sister in Slytherin. When you arrive at Hogwarts, you will each be called up one by one to be sorted. From what I've heard, one of the professors will place a magical hat on you." I giggled at that part and my mum shushed me with a stare. My father chuckled. "I know it sounds silly, but it's true. This hat has the ability to see deep inside you. It will decide which house you truly belong in, and there you will stay for all 7 years. Any questions?" We both shook our heads. "Alright. Now let me explain house points to you. Whenever a teacher feels you have made a great accomplishment, they will award your house a certain number of house points. However, if you are caught causing mischief, then you will lose house points. Then, at the end of the school year the house with the most house points will receive the House Cup. It's a great honour, so make sure to try your best no matter what house you end up in, alright Chloe?" My dad grinned.

_A/N- The boring explanation stops here._

"Okay, but you won't get mad at me if I end up in a bad house, will you?" I asked, worried.

"Of course not! All of the houses are great in their own way. They're all equal." He reassured me. I smiled and gave him a hug. My mum stood up.

"Alright. Now that the explanation is over, please take all of your things up to your room. And, who is this pretty girl?" My mum reached down to Cinder's cage and opened it. He let out a grateful girly sounding meow and ventured outside his cage.

"He's a boy, and his name is Cinder. Mr. Hagrid bought him for me as a birthday present!" I sat down on the floor with him and scratched him in front of his ears and he flopped down on the floor and rolled over onto his back, exposing his vast, sand colored tabby belly. My father laughed at the silly cat. I rubbed his sandy belly and he wiggled all over like a dog, purring like crazy. When I finally stood up to take my things up to my room, he looked up at me while still laying on his back and meowed again. My dad carried my cauldron to my room while I grabbed my assortment of trinkets. As my mum reached for my textbooks, she frowned.

"You know Chloe, I really think you should start studying for school. You don't want to be the only one there who doesn't know about all of this magical stuff."

"Oh come on, honey. Chloe has always been a top student. Although, it isn't a bad idea to learn the basics. Speaking of school, what are you going to do about muggle school? Won't you miss your friends?" My dad called out from down the hall.

"It's alright, I was too busy studying to maintain my marks to really make any good friends. I can study the muggle subjects over the summer as well as my magic. But I think it is a good idea to start studying for Hogwarts." I replied, placing down my trinkets on top of my desk.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. Chloe, outside of school you are forbidden to use magic. You can still study spells, but no casting them, understood? This is not my rule, but Hogwarts' rule." My dad said seriously.

"Alright, I won't." I promised. Not that I would have tried. After the lightning that I caused in Mr. Ollivanders shop, I didn't think I was going to be trying spells on my own for a long time.

"Alright, now I guess we'll be leaving you alone now. I'll call you when dinner is ready." My mum and dad smiled and left Cinder and I alone in my room. I flopped down on my bed and took a deep breath and grinned. I looked at the clock and it read 2:48 PM. It's amazing how much happened in such a short time period. Cinder jumped up on my bed and sniffed at my face. He stood there kneading the bed before finally turning around in a circle and laying down with his paw placed on my arm. I scratched his favorite spot right in front of his ears and he love bit my hand and I chuckled.  
A few minutes of belly rubs passed, and he stood up and walked to the edge of the bed. He flopped down and had his head hanging off the bed. He wiggled closer and closer to the edge, before he finally started to slowly slide off the edge of the bed head first. Thankfully, he managed to flip around and land on his paws safely. He then jumped right back up to my bed and did it again. He definitely wasn't the brightest cat in the world, but he was amusing enough.  
I sat up on my bed and looked around my room. It was a pretty average looking room, but it was still my own. My twin sized bed was against the far wall, with the only window in the room right next to the headboard that way I could look out into the beautiful night time as I fell asleep. In the summer I would count fireflies rather than sheep until I fell asleep. I wondered if I would have a window to sleep next to at Hogwarts. Next to my bed was my dresser, and next to that was my vanity. I got up and sat down in front of the mirror. I grabbed my hairbrush and began to brush out my wavy mouse brown hair. My hair had gotten long. It now reached the middle of my back. I stood up and walked over to my desk at the opposite wall and sat down. I opened The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk and began reading and taking notes to review later. I practiced reading the incantations out loud, but made sure not to touch my wand. Not long later, I had finished the book and sighed contently before flipping to a new page in my notebook and grabbing the next book. I went on like this and before long I had finished five of my textbooks, and taken notes on all of them. Just as I was about to start on the sixth, my dad knocked on my door.

"Chloe? Dinner is ready." I sighed, frustrated that I couldn't read any more.

"Alright, I'm coming."


	5. The Hogwarts Express

**Sorry it's so late, I've been on vacation this past week without a computer or internet, *tear*. Well, anyways here's the next chapter! **

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"Chloe! Hurry up dear, we need to go!" My mum called to me down the hall. I sighed irritably.

"I'm COMING, mum!" I yelled back as I threw the last of my textbooks into my trunk. I also grabbed my notebook which had notes on all of my books scribbled in. I had decided that I would carry it with me to study during the train ride. I apologized to Cinder as I put him back in his cage, and I somehow managed to hold him and my trunk at the same time. I walked awkwardly down the hall, trying not to drop my belongings. My mum tutted at me and walked over and took my trunk from me. Her blue eyes bulged slightly at the weight and she blew a loose strand of her dark brown hair out of her face, the rest of which was tied up into a loose bun.

"Your father's in the car. Hurry up now." She inclined her head, indicating for me to get the door. I held it open for her and she walked over to the driveway and put my trunk in the trunk of the car. I sat in the back seat, still holding Cinder's cage. My father turned around to me and grinned.

"Are you ready for your first day at Hogwarts?" He asked. I smiled nervously back at him.

"Of course!" When my mum and I were safely seated and buckled up, my father pulled out of the driveway and heading towards King's Cross Station. I sat behind my mum, and leaned my head against the window and watched the world go by. I quickly pushed away a pang of homesickness, and reminded myself that soon I would become a real-life witch. The thought made me smile. Cinder meowed at me and I reached into his cage and scratched his favorite place, just in front of his ears before returning to my position against the window.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the station. I got out with Cinder and my father went around the back to grab my trunk for me. My mum warned him that it was heavy, but his hazel eyes just smiled back at her as he picked it up with an ease. My mum pouted and turned away. I giggled and his smiling eyes met mine. Our hazel eyes stared at each other for a while before he walked over to me and wrapped me up in a huge bear hug.

"Be safe, okay? I'm so proud of you." He whispered in my ear. I nodded and hugged him back. A moment passed before we finally broke apart and he closed the trunk of the car and locked it.

"Alrighty then, let's get going, shall we?" He grinned at me and I grinned back.

"Okay!" I picked up Cinder and we walked over to where my mum was standing impatiently.

"We haven't got all day you know! What Platform does the train leave from?" She asked me. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my ticket.

"Platform 9 3/4." I read aloud. I frowned and squinted to make sure that I read it correctly.

"Oh, Chloe, I'm not in the mood for jokes." She scolded and snatched the ticket out of my hand. She put on her reading glasses and stared at the ticket, as if expecting them to magically change into a proper number.

"She's not joking, dear. Don't worry, I know where to go. I did come here with my brother and sister after all." He took the ticket from my mum's hands and led the way through the station. He stopped at platforms 9 and 10.

"Alright. Now Chloe, I want you to go first. What you're going to do is run straight at the barrier. Do not stop, and don't worry. You'll be fine." I looked at my dad like he was crazy, half expecting him to laugh and say he was joking. But when he looked at me his eyes were trusting and serious. I swallowed nervously and nodded. He handed me the trolley we got that had my trunk and Cinder on it. I lined it up with the barrier and looked at my parents.

"Don't worry sweetie, we'll be right behind you." My mum said and she smiled encouragingly. I looked back at the barrier and closed my eyes tightly and started walking towards the barrier. My nerves got the best of me, and I started walked faster and faster and soon I was full out running. I braced myself, waiting to smack into the stone wall but it never came. I opened my eyes and was shocked to see that I was no longer at Platforms 9 and 10. I looked up to see a sign that read 'Platform 9 3/4'. I turned around to see a stone barrier. I smiled excitedly and moved to the side. Not a moment later, my father came walking calmly through followed by my nervous mother. My father grinned at me and my mum smiled sheepishly.

We walked over to where the big shiny red train was, and I set Cinder's cage down on the floor. He had gotten pretty fat lately, so I was relieved to finally put him down. I checked the clock and it read 11:55.

"Allll aboooarddd!" The conductor yelled. I turned to my parents and smiled.

"Alrighty sweetie. We'll see you soon. Have fun and make lots of friends, okay?" My dad grinned before wrapping me up in another bear hug, only this one was a lot quicker. My mum frowned at my dad.

"But don't forget about your studies, they come first," Now it was my dad's turn to frown at my mum. She smiled faintly. "Alright, make some friends too. But at least try to maintain good marks." She gave me a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. I picked up my trunk and Cinder and climbed up the stairs to the train. Inside the train there was a long corridor with sliding doors leading to several compartments. I chose one on the side facing the platform and settled down, relieved that I was able to get my own compartment. I pulled out my notebook and began re-reading the notes I wrote for the 8th time. I was confident that I had most of it memorized, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Before long, the train blew it's whistle signaling it's departure and a few students ran to make the train. I opened the window and leaned out, waving goodbye to my parents. I waited until they were out of sight before sitting back down and closing the window. Not long after I had began reading my notebook again, I heard the sound of a door sliding open and looked up to see two girls standing in the doorway. They smiled at me hesitantly before speaking.

"Do you mind if we sit here? Everywhere else is full." One of them asked. I looked at them for a while, tempted to say no even though I knew I couldn't. I remembered what my dad told me, and decided to try and be friendly.

"S-sure, go ahead." I forced a smile that I hoped looked friendly. They smiled gratefully and said thank you and sat down opposite of me. One of them was very pretty and looked to be of Asian descent with long shiny dark hair and a few freckles on her nose. The other one was much more plain looking with long bushy brown hair and large front teeth. I attempted to ignore them and turned my attention back to my notebook. From the corner of my eyes I could see them look at each other in confusion.

"Um... hello. My name is Cho. Cho Chang. It's nice to meet you." The asian girl held out her hand, which I took begrudgingly.

"I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger. You should change into your robes soon before you forget." The brunette girl said in a bossy sounding voice before sticking out her hand to me. I nodded and shook her hand, purposely averting my eyes.  
It wasn't that I was trying to be mean, it's just that I had always been bad at interacting with people. When I was younger, I suffered from extreme shyness and began to distance myself from my classmates. But without any friends, I began to direct my attention towards my studies, and I became so engrossed in them that I began to find the whole idea of making friends pointless. Having friends did not ensure my future success, career, or my grades. If anything, they distracted me. Still, I decided that I really didn't want to start off the year with people hating me for being unfriendly.

"I'm Chloe. Chloe Butcher." I said as I dressed into my robes. When I finished I sat down and resumed reading my notebook. I barely read 2 sentences when a short chubby boy with blond hair and bucked teeth burst in.

"And who might you be?" Hermione asked sharply.

"Have you seen a toad? I can't find him anywhere! My gran will kill me if I lose him!" He exclaimed, ignoring Hermione's question.

"I said, who are you?" She repeated with a bossy tone in her voice. He looked at her and paled a bit.

"S-sorry I-I'm Neville Longbottom." He held out his sweaty hand to her which she took and winced at it's wetness and proceded to wipe it on the seat.

"Alright, Neville. I'll help you look." She sighed and got up, saying bye to Cho and I. After she left, Cho smiled at me.

"I guess that leaves you an-" She was interrupted by the door sliding open yet again, this time to reveal a girl. She had waist-length straggly dirty blond hair, dreamy grey eyes, and faint eyebrows. She had her wand tucked behind her left ear, and a distinct aura of dottiness. This should be interesting.

"Hello. Do you mind if I sit here?" She cocked her head at us quizzically.

"Sure." I replied, not taking my eyes off from my notebook. Cho looked at me, confused as to why I being so short. She turned to the girl and smiled warmly.

"Go ahead, I don't mind." The girl looked at both of us for a moment, before walking over to me a sitting down. I unconciously scooted over and hunched my shoulders, nervously trying to concentrate on my notebook. Cho sighed at me, before directing her attention to the girl.

"Hello. I'm Cho Chang. Nice to meet you." Cho extended a hand which the girl shook.

"My name is Luna Lovegood. Who are you?" She looked at me and cocked her head again.

"Chloe Butcher." I muttered as I shook her hand without looking at her. Cho shook her head at me.

"You know, you don't have to be rude." She turned her head away from me and frowned. Luna looked at her, then back at me, then back at her again.

"It's not her fault. She's obviously terribly shy. Give her some time and she'll come around." She smiled dreamily and pulled out a copy of a magazine, and proceeded to read it upside down. Cho tutted and pulled out a book and pointedly ignored me. We all sat like that, each of us engrossed in our own reading for a while. An old lady pushing a trolley came by.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" She smiled warmly, gesturing towards the various types of sweets she had to offer.

"No thank you." Cho and Luna said simultaniously. I simply shook my head.  
The rest of the train ride was uneventful, and before I knew it we had already arrived at the station. I quickly put my notebook away and grabbed my trunk and stood up. Resising the urge to rush out the door and never look back, I smiled at both of them, although a little more warmly at Luna and said goodbye.  
A midst the chaos at the platform, I heard a familiar booming voice somewhere behind me.

"Firs' years! Firs' years!" I turned to see a huge person who I recognized to be Hagrid. I ran over to him and said hi.

"Well hello there Chloe! Are you ready fer yer firs' day at Hogwarts?" He smiled encouragingly and I smiled back.

"Yeah!"

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**So, who can guess what house Chloe is going to be in? I know I made it pretty obvious, but I'm curious to see just how obvious it was. **

**Please review, it makes me feel loved3**

**Also, I'm not going to say that Cinder is based off of my cat, because Cinder IS my cat. The Cinder I wrote about in here, is exactly how my cat of the same name in real life is :D~ In my profile, I uploaded a picture of Cinder just in case anyone wants to see. At least I hope I uploaded it successfully. I'm still new to after all xD **


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